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New City noise map: how loud is it?
New City is one of Chicago's quieter neighborhoods: just 4.7% of residents face 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation), ranking it 68th of 77 Chicago neighborhoods. Most streets sit well back from any freeway, rail line or flight path; the map shows where the noise does reach.
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| Rank in Chicago (of 77 neighborhoods) | #68 |
|---|---|
| Residents above 60 dB | 4.7% |
| Residents above 70 dB | 0.8% |
| Residents in the 45–60 dB band | 95.3% |
| Residents (ACS 2016–2020, area-weighted) | 38,878 |
| Census tracts mapped | 36 |
New City is home to about 38,878 residents across 36 census tracts. 4.7% of them are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Within that, 0.8% face the most severe band — 70 dB or louder, the level at which sustained exposure starts to threaten hearing. A further 95.3% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. That ranks New City #68 of 77 Chicago neighborhoods, quieter than most Chicago neighborhoods. Among Chicago neighborhoods it sits just below Montclare (#67) and just above Gage Park (#69).
New City mostly sits away from the loud corridors. Where the noise does climb it traces a single freeway, rail line or flight path near the edge of the neighborhood rather than the residential core, so the great majority of blocks stay calm. The map pinpoints exactly where the exposure is.
New City noise: the specifics
- Ranks #68 of 77 Chicago neighborhoods by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
- 4.7% of New City's ~38,878 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
- 0.8% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 95.3% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
- Area-weighted across 36 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
- #68 of 77 — see the full Chicago ranking.
What share of New City residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?
4.7% of New City residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 0.8% are above 70 dB — ranking New City #68 of 77 Chicago neighborhoods by noise exposure.
How New City compares
How this is measured
This is a transparent aggregation of federal data, not an estimate: the US DOT 2020 National Transportation Noise Map (road + rail + aviation), paired with Census population by the University of Washington and area-weighted to the Chicago Times boundary for New City. It does not count sirens, construction, nightlife or neighbors, and it resolves busy corridors better than quiet local streets. For your exact spot, measure it with the free online decibel meter →
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